Patch panel press



April 14, 1964 F, LYMAN, JR, ETAL 3,129,044

PATCH PANEL PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 7, 1961 w z 9 1 9 6 o 0 0o 7 o 0 M 7 Q 0 0 O 0 0 00 0 00 0 0 0 Q 0 o o o 000 0 0 0000 0 0 000 000 00% 00000 o 000 A00000 i 00000.0A v J 4 i fl .J z j v mmvToRs April14, 1964 F. LYMAN, JR.,1ETAL PATCH PANEL PRESS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 FiledMarch 7, 1961 INVENTORS flaw/5911mm, J War/Biz 1!. Wif v United StatesPatent ()fifice 3,129,044 Patented Apr. 14, 1964 3,129,044 PATCH PANELPRESS Frank Lyman, Jr., Cambridge, Mass, and Warren H. West, SeabrookBeach, N.H., assignors to Cambridge Thermionic Corporation, Cambridge,Mass at corporation of Massachusetts Filed Mar. 7, 1961, Ser. No. 93,9244 Claims. (Cl. 339-48) The field of this invention is that of connectorsfor electric circuit components and more particularly of socalled patchpanels such as are typically associated With electronic computing orcontrol apparatus.

The preparation of electronic computer or control apparatus prior toperforming a particular problem or program is likely to involve thesetting up or rearrangement of numerous, often several hundreds ofconnections and since these highly elaborate and expensive machines areexpected to perform a great variety of functions in the scientific,business, and accounting fields, it has become customary to provide themwith devices permitting quick changes from one set-up to another. Inmost instances such devices involve multiple connection terminal boardsand corresponding prewired patch panels whereby one entire set or subsetof connections may be exchanged for another set in a single operationrequiring merely the simple association with each other of differentsets of such panels.

These patch panel assemblies typically have a plurality of pins locatedon a patch panel board so as to engage corresponding jacks in a fixedterminal board. Thus a patch board can be prepared for each type ofproblem which the machine is to handle by making connections betweenappropriate pins. These connections are then carried over to thecorresponding jacks and their associated components of the machine whenthe patch panel is brought into engagement with the fixed terminalboard. It is of course also possible to have the jacks on the patchpanel and the pins on the fixed terminal board but, as the pins are moreeasily damaged than the jacks, the pins are preferably associated withthe more easily replaced and repaired patch panels.

Objects of the present invention are to provide a patch panel assemblywhich will yield a very precise alignment of the contact regions beforeany engagement between pins and jacks is made, which enables suchalignment to be quickly and conveniently perfected, which produces evenengagement without a warping of either the patch panel or the fixedterminal board, wherein delicate contact components are protectedagainst injury, which lends itself to a very convenient method ofengagement, which is compact and rugged, and which is of simple andinexpensive manufacture and operation.

A further object is to provide a patch panel including contact pinswhich is not easily damaged in use or by ordinary handling in generaland particularly not by being placed on a flat surface.

The substance of the invention can be briefly summarized as tocharacteristic aspects thereof as follows.

In one principal aspect, the present invention contemplates a generallyrectangular patch panel having at each corner a riding pin whichprojects beyond the contact pins so as to prevent injury thereto andwhich is independent of any aligning means so that any injury to theriding pins will not affect the alignment.

In another important aspect the invention contemplates aligning meansincluding a pin near the front edge of the patch panel and a bushingnear the corresponding edge of the usually fixed terminal board, thefront portion of the bushing being flush with that part of the terminalboard lying immediately in front of the bushing and the remainingportions of the bushing projecting above the surface of the fixedterminal board so as to conveniently limit the lateral travel of thepatch panel relative to the terminal board.

In a preferred embodiment a press device is provided for engaging thepatch panel and the fixed terminal board which press device includes afront loading frame for bolding the patch panel and a handle operatedeccentric.

These and other objects, aspects, and advantages of the invention willbe apparent from the following more particular description of apreferred practical embodiment thereof illustrating its novelcharacteristics.

The description refers to drawings in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of apatch panel according to the invention;

FIG. 2 is a section on line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a section through a fixed contact board corresponding to thepatch panel of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is an enlarged plan view of an aligning bushing;

FIG. 5 is a plan view of a patch panel press device;

FIG. 6 is a front view of a patch panel press according to theinvention; and

FIG. 7 is a section on lines 77 of FIG. 5.

In FIGS. 1 and 2 of the drawings, 1 indicates the movable patch panelassembly the body of which carries a multiplicity of terminals 20inserted into an insulating board 4 in a 16 x 16 array and suitablesecured such as by staking indicated at 21. Lines 7 are applied to theboard 4 for example by silk screening so as to facilitate the locationof any particular terminal 20 within the array. A terminal board 2 is ofgenerally speaking similar construction, as shown in FIG. 3, and assumedto be fixed as will be described below. Each terminal 20 includes a pinportion 22 for engaging a corresponding jack 30 on the fixed contactboard 2. Each corner of the patch panel 1 carries a riding pin 5 whichprojects further beneath the board 4 than the pin portions 22 of theterminals 20. Attached to the front edge of the patch panel 1 is ahandle 8 secured by roll pins 9. The forward edge of the panel alsocarries at approximately its midpoint an aligning pin 11 while theopposing or rearward edge carries at its midpoint an aligning bushing10. The relation of the fixed contact board 2 and the movable patchpanel 1 is indicated by FIGS. 2 and 3. The fixed contact board 2 has aninsulating board 6 the body of which carries a multiplicity of jacks 30for engaging the pins 22 of the patch panel 1. The jacks 30 are insertedthrough the insulating board 6 and secured thereto such as by staking31. The lower ends of these jacks 30 terminate in terminal portions 32adapted for more or less permanent connection to the machine. Preferablythe upper ends of each jack 30 include bores 33 whose periphery islongitudinally split and encompassed by a spring 34 so as to provide aresilient grip on the pins 22. In the preferred embodiment illustratedthe terminals 20 of the patch panel 1 (FIG. 2) include at their upperend a jack structure similar to that of the jacks of FIG. 3 so thatconnections between terminals 20 can be conveniently made withpin-tipped leads. This structure, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, comprisesbores 23 whose peripheries are longitudinally split and encompassed bysprings 24.

The rear of the fixed contact board 2 carries an aligning pin 12 whichcorresponds with the bushing 10 while the forward edge carries a bushing13 corresponding to the pin 11. The rearward portion 41 of the bushing13 projects above the surface of the insulating panel 6 so as to providea stop for the patch panel 1 as it is brought into engagement with thefixed contact board 2. The front portion 42 of the bushing 13 is cut offflush with the surface of the insulating panel 6 to facilitate theengagement. FIG. 4 shows a preferable shape for the bushing 13 providingfor ease of engagement with pin 11. The board 2 has also four aperturesindicated at 5.1, for receiving the riding pins of panel 1.

With this configuration of parts, it is possible to align thecorresponding terminals preparatory to engagement, by merely moving thepatch panel 1 along the fixed contact board 2 until the aligning pin 11on the patch panel engages the projecting portion 41 of the bushing 13.When the alignment is approximately correct, the riding pins 5 are freeto pass through the corresponding apertures 5.1 in the fixed contactboard 2. As the patch panel 1 approaches engagement with the fixedcontact board 2, the pin 11 and the bushing to perfect the alignment bycoming into a precisely defined engagement with the bushing 13 and thepin 12 respectively.

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 depict a press for bringing the patch panel 1 intoengagement with the fixed contact board 2. This press provides a frontloading frame 51 including a slot 52 for receiving the patch panel 1(FIG. 6). An eccentric 53 is driven by a handle 54 and operates on theframe 51 to effect the engagement. The handle .54 is journaled in pillowblocks 57 which also serve as guides for the frame 51, shoulders 55 onthe frame 51 hearing against the sides of the blocks 57. The blocks 57are secured to a base 50 by aligning pins 58 and screws 59. Normally,the fixed contact board 2 will also be attached to this base 50 and theWhole unit will be incorporated into the electrical apparatus which itis intended to serve, such as a computing machine. Preferably a plate 60of the same thickness as the insulating board is attached to the base 50adjacent the fixed con- .tact board 2 so as to provide a bearing surfaceof greater length for the aligning pin 11 as it approaches the bushing13.

To connect a new patch panel into the circuit the handle 54 is pivotedto the rear lifting the frame 51 carrying the old patch panel which isthen removed. The new patch panel is inserted in the slot 42 until thepin 11 engages the projecting portion 41 of the bushing 13. Pivoting thehandle 54 forward will then drive the patch panel 1 into a preciselyaligned engagement with the fixed con- .tact board 2.

It will now be evident that connectors according to the invention offerthe following advantages and appreciably improved results among othersappearing from the above exposition of the objects and the nature of theinvention, and from the description of a practical embodiment.

One result and important advantage of the above described arrangement isthat if the riding pins 5 become somewhat bent or deformed in performingtheir function ,or stored. More particularly the riding pins 5 willprevent contact between the pins 22 and any fiat surface upon which thepatch panel is placed. Normally, the patch panel would rest on thealigning pin 11 and the two riding pins 5 at the opposite edge of theboard. If, however, the patch panel is tilted, a riding pin 5 at thesame edge as the aligning pin 11 will come into contact with thesurface, still preventing contact between the surface and the pins 22.It will be evident that for many purposes two riding pins near the panelside opposite to the side with the aligning pin will serve to protectthe contacts.

The press construction described with reference to FIGS. 5 to 7cooperates with the placing, aligning and contacting componentsaccording to FIGS. 1 to 4 to provide as particularly advantageousresults the extremely easy handling even by unskilled operators and anoptimally rugged and uncomplicated construction securing the maximalreliability which is of primary importance with apparatus of this type.

It should be understood that this disclosure is for the purpose ofillustration only and that this invention includes all modifications andequivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. A patch panel comprising:

a board carrying a plurality of terminal means extending therefrom;

an aligning pin extending near an edge portion of said board beyond saidterminal means;

an aligning bushing near an edge portion opposite to said aligning pin;and

two riding pins extending on either side of said bushing beyond saidterminal means but being shorter than said aligning pin;

whereby said aligning and riding pins protect the terminal means fromcontact with a surface on which the board may rest with these pins, andwhereby the aligning pin and bushing can be brought into initialengagement with a corresponding aligning bushing and pin, respectively,without interference by the ridmg pins.

2. A patch panel assembly comprising:

a patch panel of essentially rectangular contour including a pluralityof contact pins, riding pins projecting near corners of said panelbeyond said contact pins, and an aligning pin; and

a fixed terminal board including a plurality of jacks corresponding tosaid contact pins and an aligning bushing, said aligning bushing havinga front portion which is flush with the surface of said fixed terminalboard and the remaining portions of which project above the surface ofsaid terminal board.

3. A patch panel assembly .for use in a patch panel press comprising:

a patch panel of generally rectangular contour including a firstplurality of contact means extending from said panel,

an aligning pin and an aligning bushing near opposite sides of saidpanel respectively, and

a riding pin near each corner of the side of said bushing and projectingbeyond said contact means for protecting them together with the aligningpin during handling of the patch panel; and a terminal board including asecond plurality of contact means corresponding to said first contactmeans,

an aligning bushing and an aligning pin corresponding to andcomplementing said aligning pin and aligning bushing of said patchpanel, and

apertures for receiving said riding pins, the clearing between saidriding pins and said apertures being greater than between complementaryaligning pins and bushings.

4. A patch panel press assembly comprising:

a fixed contact board;

a patch panel; and

a press mounted above said fixed contact board and including a frontloading frame for holding the patch panel and a handle operatedeccentric for bringing a patch panel held by said frame into engagementwith said fixed contact board;

said patch panel including an aligning pin attached to the trailing edgeof the patch panel as it is inserted into the press; and

said fixed contact board including a bushing in the front edge of saidboard, the front portion of said bushing being flush with the surface ofthe fixed contact board lying immediately in front of said bushing andthe remaining portion of said bushing projecting above the surface ofsaid board.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTSHornberger July 31, 1934 Lake Mar. 15, 1938 Lake June 4, 1946 Buck Jan.10, 1950 Earl Apr. 29, 1952 Jackson et a1. Nov. 3, 1953 Lazar et a1.Apr. 3, 1962

1. A PATCH PANEL COMPRISING: A BOARD CARRYING A PLURALITY OF TERMINALMEANS EXTENDING THEREFORM; AN ALIGNING PIN EXTENDING NEAR AN EDGEPORTION OF SAID BOARD BEYOND SAID TERMINAL MEANS; AN ALIGNING BUSHINGNEAR AN EDGE PORTION OPPOSITE TO SAID ALIGNING PIN; AND TWO RIDING PINSEXTENDING ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BUSHING BEYOND SAID TERMINAL MEANS BUTBEING SHORTER THAN SAID ALIGNING PIN; WHEREBY SAID ALIGNING AND RIDINGPINS PROTECT THE TERMINAL MEANS FROM CONTACT WITH A SURFACE ON WHICH THEBOARD MAY REST WITH THESE PINS, AND WHEREBY THE ALIGNING PIN AND BUSHINGCAN BE BROUGHT INTO INTIAL ENGAGEMENT WITH A CORRESPONDING ALIGNINGBUSHING AND PIN, RESPECTIVELY, WITHOUT INTERFERENCE BY THE RIDING PINS.